1991 Nissan Bluebird Reviews

Summary:

Good performance, but poor fuel economy!

Faults:

Engine rattles hard when starting in the cold!!

Radio aerial does not retract.

General Comments:

Good looking car for its age; spoiler and alloy wheels. Speed is good, reaching 100km from 0 takes about 8 to 10 seconds. Power steering is responsive, roomy is boot where you can fit a lot bags, plus a spare wheel.

Burns a bit fuel though!! I am driving it mostly in a city area, no motorway or highway, and it can only get up to 300kms per 60 liters (full tank). I have no idea if there is something wrong with the car, or if that's the way it is. But overall, not very good fuel economy at all.

Summary:

Faults:

Braking system master cylinder replaced at 190,000kms.

Fuel Pump replaced at 200,000kms.

Alternator reconditioned at 205,000kms.

Burst fuel system hose at 210,000kms.

General Comments:

When I originally purchased this year, I was looking for a cheap runabout which would also be comfortable and economical for the odd out of town trip. Because the odometer reading was quite high when I purchased it, this car has needed a reasonable amount of maintenance over the four years that I have owned it, but I still feel that I have got good value out of it.

If you're looking for a performance car, then this one will disappoint, but it has more than enough grunt to satisfy most drivers. The handling is acceptable considering that I have cheap tyres on it, though the steering is not as precise as some cars and seems to become a bit heavy for slow manoeuvres (I suspect that the power steering is not engine speed sensitive).

It lacks a tachometer, and some aspects of the interior fittings feel a bit cheap, but I am grateful of the fact that it has air conditioning and central locking. I should also point out that the air conditioning has not required any maintenance during my ownership.

It's a very practical car with plenty of room in the cabin, and also very generous luggage space. The rear seats fold down to allow long items to be loaded into the vehicle, although the usefulness of this is somewhat limited by the small width of the hole between the boot and the cabin.

1991 Nissan Bluebird LX 1.6 petrol from UK and Ireland

Faults:

Faulty windscreen wipers. Several linkage arms have been replacd for both sides. Linkage arms have a ball and cup joint, the ball made of metal, the cup plastic, causing the plastic cup to wear quickly.

General Comments:

Why are Nissan parts so difficult to get hold of (3 weeks for a windscreen wiper linkage arm) and why are the parts so expensive?